Wringer



May 5, 1936.

w. L. KAUFFMAN, 2D 2,08%803 WRINGER Filed Jan. 10, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 May ,5, 19%.

w. L. KAUFFMAN, 2D 9,803

WRINGER Filed Jan. 10, 1933 Lei/ A TTORNEYS.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 5, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WRINGER Application January 10, 1933, Serial .No. 650,956

'10 Claims.

Wringers as commonly made are provided with one driving roll from which the companion roll is driven without the aid of gears, or other means of communicating the movement. Under certain conditions difficulty has been experienced in communicating the movement of the driving roll to the companion roll and when the companion roll ceases to rotate the clothes do not readily enter between the rolls and there may be some damage to the rolls. There have been in the past wringers formed with gear connections between the rolls. In these structures the gears are commonly formed with very deeply meshing teeth and in order to get'sufiicient spacing for these teeth it is common to provide two series of teeth, the teeth of the two series being staggered relatively to each other. With such structures the teeth have suiificient'engaging length to'maint'ain a driving relation with any normal degree of separation o'f-the rolls. Gears capable of accomplishing'this require considerable additional space and do not run smoothly through 'all degrees of separation of the rolls and present certain problems in the assembly and forming of the parts.

With the present invention a gear connection is provided with a tooth engagement only deep enough to insure "a continuous rotation of both rolls when no material is passing between the rolls. As soon as a normal thickness of material fed betweenthe rolls, the separation of the rolls lifts the teeth out of driving engagement. This makes the ideal arrangement because as soon as the clothes are introduced between the rolls there sufiicient traction to assure the driving of one roll from the other without the aid of gears. This makes a smoother running mechanism in that the gears may be made to run smoothly and with comparatively small teeth when the wringer .is running idle and as soon as the wringer is put -into use the rolls are driven one from the other and the gears, if they still overlap cease to be the driving factor and upon a reasonable separation of the rolls are entirely out of engagement so that the'wringer continues to run smoothly and with little noise. This apparatus permits of :forming the gears with comparatively thin plates because :the short length of the teeth makes one series of teeth ample and the load, or wear on the gears iscomp'ara'tively slight. Thus the gears may be introduced between the ends of the rolls and the Side stiles of the wringer without materially changing the capacity of the rolls as to width. The size and arrangement "of gears also provides a simple mechanism so far as assembly is concerned. The invention also contemplates a convenient means -to obtain the full advantage of the construction in the matter of guarding the same and assembling the guards. Other features and details "of the invention will appear from the specification 'and :claims.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings as 'follows:

Fig. 1 shows a front elevation of the wringer with 'theimp'rovements in place.

Fig. 2 a central section of the geared end of the wringer.

Fig. 3 an end View of the rolls detached showing the position of the gears with the rolls under initial working compression, the i's-h'a'ft being 'in section on the line 3-3 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 a similar view with the rolls merely in contact.

Fig. 5 shows the rolls as separated by a body of cloth.

Fig. 6 shows :a perspective view of the guard of :the structure illustrated in Fig. '1.

Fig. 7 a perspective view of the guard support.

Fig. '8 a central section 'o'f the geared end of the wringer showing a modification of guard.

Fig. 9 a section on the line 9-9 in Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 a perspective view of "one of the guard plates of the structure shown in Figs. 8 and 9.

Fig. 11 a perspective view of a modified form of guard.

The wringer frame has a base I, side stiles 2, and top bar '3. The wringer is provided with a bottom roll 4, and a top roll 5. These are mounted on shaftsfi and 1 respectively and these shafts operate 'inbearings 8 and 9 respectively, the bearings being mounted in the side stiles in the usual manner. The side stiles as shown are formed of sheet metal of x shape, the inner wall of the stile having a slot I 0 through which the shafts of the'wrin'ger maybe inserted. The shaft '6 has .an extension "with a drivin end'fia adapted to receive a driving coupling. or connection. A spring I! operates on the upper bearings 9 and is 'tensioned by a screw 12 in the top bar in the usual manner and the top bar is provided with a safety release 13 "of any desired type.

Each of the shafts is provided with a small step I 4 which has flats I 5. A spacer and'roll end ring I6 is arranged next the roll on this step. A gear 1 l is placed on the step next the ring and a securing ring I8 is placed outside the gear. The ring 18 is secured in place by heading the end of the step at l9 so as to permanently clamp and but little driving engagement, in fact, under any particular load one would cam over the other. At this position, however, in the normal operation of the wringer there must be some interposed fabric and the fabric has suflicient traction with the lower roll and the upper roll to communicate the movement from the lower roll to the upper.

roll without the assistance of the gears. When a fabric of any reasonable thickness is interposed between therolls, as in Fig. 5, the gears are entirely separated and the upper roll is rotated entirely through the traction communicated through the fabric;

'A' guard support 20 is provided with ears 200. which are secured to the lips of the stile at each side of the slot 1., The guard is provided with slots 2| along its upper edge and preferably with a flange 20b extending toward the roll. A guard 22 has a U-shaped portion 23 and a lower loop 24. It has side flanges 25 which form a closure with the flanges 20b. The flanges 20b are provided with detents 26 which snap into sockets 21 on the flanges 25 and thus make a detachable pivotal mounting for the guard. The flange 25 is also provided with a shoulder '28 which is struck up in the flange and engages the inner edge of the flange 20b and consequently holds the guard plate normally in proper relation with the supporting plate. The loop 24 has a return bend 29 forming a fold 30. It is of sufllcient size to receive loosely the end of the lower roll 4 and thus form an efficient guard over the edge of the lower roll. The upper portion 23 of the guard has a slot 3| for receiving the upper shaft 1 of the upper roll and a cross plate 3la at the bottom of the slot unites the sides of the guard. The face 32 of the upper plate 23 is slightly depressed forming a fold 33 along the edges which extends over and forms a rounded guard face for the guard plate. The upper edge of the plate is curved outwardly at 34 also assisting in the effectiveness of the guard. The curve follows the path of the ends of the upper roll when tilted upwardly and gives clearance for the upper gear as it is lifted with the roll. The ribbing of the edges not. only makes those edges smoother and thus better adapted to guide the clothes, but also stiffens the guard plate so that it may be made of comparatively thin metal and still have sufficient rigidity for its purpose. The slot and loopare such as to permit of the ready assembly of the shafts in proper position. The loop is of sufficient size to permit slight out-swinging of the guard with the tilting of the upper roll; Thus the total space occupied by the guard and gear at the end of the roll is very'slighti'ndeed making it possible to use standard length rolls. Where the upper roll is tilted" at the gear end by included clothes the roll shaft can move up in the slot 3| and the shaping "of the guard permits this movement without binding of the parts. The wearing edge I90, of the plate l8 on the upper roll takes the end thrust that may accompany any tilting, this purpose. The snap connection between the guard and the support is desirable in that if there is undue shock from release the guard plate will be snapped loose before it will be distorted and these detents further make a very convenient assembly of the parts.

In the modification shown in Figs. 8, 9, and 10, the guard plate is in two parts, each part having a face plate 35 with oval openings 36 giving clearance for the shaft. The meeting edges of the two plates have steps, or ears 31. These plates are threaded on to the rings 16 and when the rolls are in place the steps 31 are in engagement.

, These plates being separated permit of the separation of the rolls without interference. The guard is completed by a plate 38 somewhat similar to the supporting plate of the preferred construction, this being provided with flanges 39 which extend out beyond the faces of the rolls to give sufflcient guarding action and this plate has ears 40 for securing the plate to the side stiles.

In lieu of the separate plates 35 a single H- shaped plate 4| (Fig. 11) may be used with the slots 42. This plate is merely slipped into place between the'two rollers, the rings I 6 operating in the slots 42. The shape of the plate permits; of the forming of the plate of light resilient metal which will readily yield with the tilting of the rolls and consequently permit the plate to occupy a very small space between the gears and the rolls. The plate may be made, if desired,-of rub-' ber, thus rendering it still more flexible.

What I claim as new is:-

r 1. In a wringer, the combination of a frame; wringer rolls mounted in the frame, said rolls plate or washer engaging the side stile for this comprising shafts, one of which has a constant driving connection; means exerting yielding squeezing pressure on the rolls; gears on the shafts between the rolls and the frame; anda guard between the yielding roll and the gear tiltable with saidyielding roll.

2. In a wringer, the combination of a frame; wringer rolls mounted in the frame, said rolls comprising shafts, one of which has a constant driving connection; squeezing pressure on the rolls; gears on the shafts between the rolls and the frame; a guard support having means by which it is secured to the side stile adjacent the gears; and a guard plate having a pivotal connection with the support.

3. In a wringer, the combination of a frame; wringer rolls mounted in the frame, said rolls comprising shafts, one of which has a constant driving connection; means exerting yielding squeezing pressure on the rolls; gears on the shafts between the rolls and the frame; a guard support having means by which it is secured to the side stile adjacent the ears; and a guard plate having a pivotal connection with the support with a snap connection.

4. In a wringer, the combination of a frame; wringer rolls mounted in the frame, said rolls comprising shafts, one of which has a constant driving connection; means exerting yielding squeezing pressure on the rolls; 'gearson the shafts between the rolls and the frame; a guard support having means by which it is secured to the side stile adjacent the gears; and a. guard between the gears and the rolls pivotally mounted relatively to the side frame.

5. In a wringer, the combination of a frame; wringer rolls mounted in the frame, said rolls means exerting yielding comprising shafts, one of which has a constant driving connection; means exerting yielding squeezing pressure on the rolls; gears on the shafts between the rolls and the frame; a guard support having means by which it is secured to the side stile adjacent the gears; and a guard between the gears and the rolls pivotally mounted relatively to the side frame with a snap connection.

6. In a wringer, the combination of a frame; wringer rolls mounted in the frame, said rolls comprising shafts, one of which has a constant driving connection; means exerting yielding squeezing pressure on the rolls; gears on the shafts between the rolls and the frame; and a guard plate extending between the upper roll and the gears and extending along the lower roll, said guard plate having ribs along its edges overlapping the rolls..

'7. In a wringer, the combination of a frame; wringer rolls mounted in the frame, said rolls comprising shafts, one of which has a constant driving connection; means exerting yielding squeezing pressure on the rolls; gears on the shafts between the rolls and the frame; and a flexible guard plate between the gears and the rolls.

8. In a wringer, the combination of a frame; wringer rolls mounted in the frame, said rolls comprising shafts, one of which has a constant driving connection; means exerting yielding squeezing pressure on the rolls; gears on the shafts between the rolls and the frame; and a flexible rubber guard plate between the gears and the rolls.

9. In a wringer, the combination of a frame; wringer rolls mounted in the frame, said rolls comprising shafts, one of which has a constant driving connection; means exerting yielding squeezing pressure on the rolls; gears on the shafts between the rolls and the frame; and a guard plate on each shaft between the roll and the gear thereon.

10. In a wringer, the combination of a frame; wringer rolls mounted in the frame, said rolls comprising shafts, one of which has a constant driving connection; means exerting yielding squeezing pressure on the rolls; gears on said shafts between the rolls and the frame; spacer rings on the shafts between the gears and the rolls; and a wear ring on the outside of the gears.

WALTER L. KAUFFIVIAN, II. 

